


Trapped

by Melinda_May (Effie_Peletier)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 09:22:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2767970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Effie_Peletier/pseuds/Melinda_May
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carol and Daryl find themselves trapped in a dingy little place, surrounded by walkers, for once, they use this time to chat. *CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SEASON 5 - basically don't read it if you haven't seen season 5 - then again, if you haven't, but you still wanna read it - go for it! :D *</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Their silences were never usually awkward, because they were usually thinking about the same thing - how to get out, what they needed to do next, what was the best possible solution to the damn mess that they'd got themselves into. But this time, this time was slightly different.  
They were out on a usual run - a usual gather supplies and head back to camp. It wasn't anything to do - Daryl was happy to take Carol with him of course, she was quick on her feet, useful and skilled with her weapons, and they could talk - easily.  
So why couldn't they now?  
Sure, there was a lot that had just happened, they'd lost Beth, Carol had nearly died, their past hung over them like a black cloud as they sat, panting, listening to the moans and the bangs against the door that they'd managed to shut just in time.  
It would hold - for now. 

"You okay?" Daryl asked, breaking the silence in the room. Carol merely nodded.  
"You?"  
"Yeah..."  
He placed his crossbow down next to him and heaved a sigh, he knew that she wouldn't want to talk about it - and he was never, and would never be one to pry when it came to Carol - but they needed something to pass the time - and he needed to get everything off his chest, and who better to talk to - the one that he would always turn to for help. 

"Carol - I'm - I'm glad you're okay." His eyes focused on her like a hawk, giving her that look, that look that he knew told her so many things without him even needing to say anything.  
She smiled, moving next to him, their legs touching, and laid her head onto his shoulder, making him smile a little too.  
"Once again I owe you my life." she paused "thank you for coming to get me."  
Daryl shook his head.  
"I just came to get ya' - Beth saved your life..." he bit his lip and let his head loll forwards, pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt her hand on his cheek.  
"Its not your fault Daryl." Carol comforted, her thumb grazing over his stubble. "she made her choice, she was doin' the right thing - but in this world, doin' the right thing gets you killed..."  
His eyes drifted up to hers, she'd shifted so that she was sat in front of him, on her knees, so close it made him just want to reach out, take her into his arms and never let go.  
Shaking his head, he swallowed.  
"I should have been able to protect her - she was only 17 - " he could feel tears forming, forcing themselves out - but he didn't care - if there was one person he'd let himself cry in front of it was Carol.  
"She wasn't yours to protect - I know you - you take it upon yourself to protect the kids, and that, that's what makes you such a good man, but - " she paused, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against his, her hand still on his cheek. "she knew the consequences, she was old enough to know what she was doing... it wasn't your fault -" 

At that moment, a loud wine came from the door, making Carol jump and move away from Daryl to make a grab for her gun - only when she was entirely sure the door wasn't coming in did she look back at Daryl, just to realise he hadn't taken his eyes off her the entire time.  
"Do you - wanna talk about what happened to you?" he asked cautiously, he wasn't one to pry, but he could see pain in her beautiful eyes and he didn't like that - not to see that she was holding back things that he could possibly help with. But if she said no - he'd drop it - just like he always did.  
Carol pursed her lips slightly, looking away from him for a moment before returning to his impossibly blue eyes, especially in this dark cellar like room they'd encased themselves in.  
"She killed her sister..." Carol paused, letting her self just spill out, she needed to tell someone - someone that might understand. "Lilly, she - she was wrong - in the head - she thought walkers were her friends, and that the living wanted to be walkers...." another pause, tears were coming now, not many, but enough to warrant Daryl's hand cupping her face. "she killed her sister, and Ty and I - we didn't know what to do... she - she threatened to kill the baby... and - I had to - I had to kill her - - I killed a child Daryl. A child much like Sophia...."  
Daryl didn't say anything, merely shifted so that her legs were over his, and she was basically sat on his lap, he let her head sink into the crook of his neck as she sobbed, holding her - not knowing what to say, and thinking that there wasn't anything to say, just to simply be there would help Carol - would help her realise that, from what he understood, it was the only way they could avoid more dead people. 

His hand found her hair and he gently started to run his hand over it, muttering small words to her. Simple things like - "its okay." or "there was no other way." or simply " I'm here."  
When she finally pulled up and away from his shoulder she returned to her previous position, her hand on his cheek, and forehead against his.  
"Promise me something Daryl."  
"Anything."  
"Stay alive."  
"I can't promise that. But I'll try my damn hardest, as long as you do too."  
Carol nodded against him, and smiled gently.  
Even in the darkness of the room he could see that she'd stopped crying now - probably happy to have managed to get that off her chest. 

"Everything's gone to shit hasn't it?" she asked a little out of the blue.  
"Shitter than it was yeah..." he mumbled back, in the short space there was between their lips, the air being shared there - but neither of them minding.  
The banging had subsided, walkers don't usually give up - but this time, they had - for some reason.  
They were free to go at anytime, but they stayed, stayed in their little huddle in the corner.  
Both needing this, just each other and this moment. 

"I couldn't loose you - not now, not after everything that we've been through, not after everything and everyone I've lost - you're the only one I still wanna be around..." it felt like word vomit, something that just needed to be said, something that would either break them apart or bring them closer than ever, Carol opened her eyes, in the darkness between them all she could see was his eyes, his eyes that hadn't moved off her since they'd entered this room. Her heart gave a little skip, like a bloody school girl.  
Daryl's hand was still on her, but it'd moved to her back, making little circles there, he smiled when she opened her eyes, or maybe - he'd already been smiling.  
"When Rick - kicked you out of the prison, I thought I'd never see you again - and then there you were, saving our lives. and I - I was so happy that you were safe - and that you'd found your way back to us... and then you went to leave again - and I couldn't take it. Why - why did you wanna leave?" 

Carol hesitated before answering, their heads still pressed together, inches apart from one another.  
"Ever since I left and then came back - everyone - looks at me different... cept maybe you."  
Daryl didn't say anything. Just gave her his look.  
"I'm sorry - I am - I was just - scared, of loosing you all again - loosing you again."  
"So you left?"  
"I thought it would be easy just to, leave instead of get attached again."  
Daryl nodded, he could see the logic there, he could.  
"I'm happy you came after me - "  
"Well I wasn't gonna let you skip out on your own now."  
"Thank you." she mumbled, moving slightly and planting her lips on his forehead, then shifting back into their little position. 

A silence fell over them, but not an awkward one - one that felt clean, weight that had been lifted off their shoulders, sorted out the world in this dingy little place for the time being.  
Her eyes had slipped shut again, the warmth and the safety that she felt right now - would probably never be achieved again - so she'd cherish every second of it. 

"Carol."  
His voice snapped her out of it, pulling her head away and looking him. The taste of his skin lingering on her lips still.  
Daryl, slowly inched his face towards hers, planting his lips gently onto hers for a second before pulling back and smiling a little sheepishly.  
"I'm sorry I just -..."  
She was grinning, like a full grown grin had magically spread itself over her face. Her eyes having a little twinkle in them again, it made him smile too.  
"Long overdue I think there Pookie..." she teased, her hands gripping his shoulders. His hands moved to her waist.  
Thank God she'd wanted to do that too.  
He pulled her into him and planted their lips again, this time firmer, and for longer, making every second they had count - for all they knew, a walker could break in at any moment and eat them alive -  
Only because they had to breath did they stop kissing, panting slightly they'd flopped onto their sides on the floor, grinning at each other.  
Sure, life was shit, but right now, right here - it was the best time of their lives. 

They fell asleep there, cuddled in each others arms, wishing, hoping that when they woke up, the world would have gone back to normal and they would be able to live out the rest of their lives together.  
Of course, this was not the case, but right then, in that moment, in that tiny, crappy little room, anything was possible.


	2. Carol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to find moments to themselves is hard, but they take what they can get. From Carol's POV.

The morning came far too quickly for her liking.   
Waking in another persons arms was odd. Carol had never spooned with Ed, never wanted to touch Ed, even when he made them have sex, she'd never enjoyed, never had time to because she was always worrying that if she'd done something wrong, or something that didn't quite fit his game plan that he would hit her - or worse, hit Sophia - but there was none of that fear with Daryl. She trusted him completely, she'd no reason to ever distrust him, he'd done so much for her, even when they barely knew each other, he'd tried to save his little girl, comforted her, confided in her. She remembered a quote she'd once read - "Broken people gravitate towards each other." - at the time of reading that, she didn't believe it, because she didn't know anyone else that had her problems, they had always pretended that everything was fine, that they were happy, and that Carol was just a very accident prone woman.... she couldn't believe no one had ever worked it out, worked out what Ed was doing to her every night. Why Sophia would cling to her side and try not to cry when her own father touched her shoulder.   
Carol would like to think that Daryl would have noticed, if she knew him back then, he would have noticed - he was the first one to notice back at their first camp. The first one to ever say anything to her - even though she was never his problem, they'd never spoken until that night, she'd seen him round sure, but he was always with his brother. Not the people that the old Carol would have even walked near, never mind actually talking to them.   
Times had certainly changed. She'd certainly changed. 

Smiling gently she opened her eyes and gazed over the sleeping form of Daryl next to her. She wasn't usually the first to wake when it came to them, but this time, she thanked God that she was, it was a different, and sort of special, moment seeing Daryl Dixon asleep. There were only a few times that that grace had met her eyes, and each time it made her smile, he seemed so peaceful, like everything was okay with the world, like they weren't living in hell. And she couldn't help but love that about him.   
Grazing her hand across his cheek woke him up, eyes focusing with hers as soon as they opened, and that adorable half smile cracking itself on to his mouth. 

"Morning." she sighed, her eyes latched with his, not wanting ever to let them go.   
"Morning." he replied, placing a hand on her waist.   
She wasted no time, as there was never a moment to spare in this world, moving closer to him, she planted her lips against his, smiling into his lips. The taste and smell making it even more real for her, there was nothing about Daryl that she didn't like, the softness of his lips, the warmth of his touch, the tenderness of his movement and his voice when they were alone.   
They finally broke out of their morning haze and smiled at each other, knowing that this would be that last moment they would get to be alone for a while, especially back at camp with eyes on them constantly. 

A couple hours later and they were back on the road, having taken out a few walkers on the way out of their little hovel, they'd found their car, loaded it and made their way back to camp.   
Their normal silence hung in the air, although it seemed lighter now, like something that had been waiting to happened had finally happened.   
They were about an hour out when Carol decided she'd try the radio, flicking it on, the usual static came up, but the fact it worked was good enough for her - she opened the glove department and was pleased to find a few CD's in there, she grinned and opened one, sliding it into the CD player and turning it down slightly so they wouldn't attract any walkers.   
To be honest she didn't know any of the CD's but this one had caught her attention, and as the music started to drift around the car she knew she'd made the right decision, the acoustic guitar twang and the subtle tone of the man singing made her think about Daryl singing, and if he could, and if he would for her. Secretly, in a little place where they were alone, just for a little while. 

Her eyes slid over to him, running over his hair, and eyes, nose, lips, jaw, neck, those strong shoulders, that amazing chest - he was such a man, she wondered to herself why he would ever want to be with a scrawny so and so like herself. Why he would ever want her. But again, that quote sprang to mind - "broken people gravitate towards each other." - whatever he had been though in his life, it lead him to her, gave him to her, and she would be forever grateful for finding him, and for him finding her.   
Even though their world was in shit, she felt like she was in a movie, staring at him as the car drove through empty streets.   
The song ended and their world faded into silence again, she popped the CD out and placed it back into the glove box, she didn't want to spoil the mood of what that song had given them. 

She saw his eyes move to her, and then back to the road.   
"You should try and get some more rest, god only knows what's waitin' for us back at the camp." he said, breaking the comfortable silence.   
"If anything, it should be you resting. Sure you don't want me to drive for a bit?"   
"Na - I got it."   
"Sure?"   
"Yeah." his eyes flicked to her again, and then back at the road.   
Realising that she hadn't stopped looking at him she removed her gaze and attached it to the world outside the window.   
And for once in her life, she was sort of glad that Sophia wasn't there anymore, because what world should a mother let her daughter live in a place like this, the shit hole that the world had turned into. She tried to imagine what it would have been like to have Sophia at the farm, or at the prison, or having to take her with her when Rick had cast her out. All of the things that she had done, would she have still done them? Or would she have still been that frail woman, the one that she now so despised because of her weakness, her incapability of looking after her daughter or herself, in the face of a man like Ed.   
She'd like to think now, if Ed ever came back, walker or not, she'd beat him down and kill him without even thinking about it. 

The hour passed quickly, and they pulled into camp, gathering the supplies they'd managed to get before they were surrounded and taking them into their little squat building they were calling home.   
They were planning to move out of it soon, find somewhere better, maybe another farm, or another prison - somewhere with walls. Some where, hopefully, with a bit of privacy. 

Night time fell and Carol had made up a little place in the corner for them both. They hadn't told the rest of the group what had happened between them, there was no point, the majority of them thought they had a thing going anyway, or so she thought.   
Thankfully he wasn't on watch tonight, so he quickly came over and snagged his spot next to her, giving her a gentle and silent kiss in the darkness.   
There was a hope for more, but everyone would have heard, and she didn't want an audience. So she settled for the kiss and spoon and faded into sleep. 

Over the next couple days, any moment they would get either to be alone or just together they took, she would make sure she took watch with him, make sure that she took his food to him, went out on runs with him, just so they could steal a kiss, or a hug and a touch. Nothing major, and always left her wanting more, needing more, but it would suffice. She had him in her life, he was hers and she would never let him go. 

About a week after they had first kissed, the group had migrated from the little place that they'd been staying in, now they were all on the road, sleeping in cars, and for the first time, in what felt like forever, it was only Carol and Daryl in the car together.   
They both knew what they wanted, after the incessant teasing, touching and glancing at each other, they knew that if they didn't take this opportunity it would be a while until they got another one. 

Carol grinned at Daryl, who eyed her cautiously.   
"So..." she started, "we're alone... and - " she paused, shrugging slightly, her fingers dancing on her clothes as she smirked at him. "well, anything could happen..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might make this into a series of one shots until February, so that I can just make up silly headcanons. ehe.   
> Hope you liked it. Comments/Reviews Appreciated. :D De x

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, comments/reviews appreciated. :D De x


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